Thai Jasmine Rice – Kao Hom Mali

by Prapapan Samarnkun

Thai Jasmine Rice - Kao Hom Mali

Thai Jasmine Rice – Kao Hom Mali

You have seen on my blog time and time again “… serve the dish with Thai jasmine rice.”   So why Thai jasmine rice?

The Thai jasmine rice has been recognized worldwide as one of the best rice available. It is a long-grain white rice, with nice natural aroma, slightly clingy, not sticky, not dry, soft, silky smooth and a little sweet. It is one of the most prestigious, aromatic and healthiest rice. It has been served to Thai royal families for centuries. Thai people call it Kao Hom Mali, meaning Rice Fragrant Jasmine. It releases a sweet smell like a jasmine during the cooking process. It is a good source of carbohydrates, iron, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin(vitamin B-3) and protein. It is fat-free and sodium-free. It is very versatile.  You can serve it with any kind of main and/or side dishes and it makes your meals even more enjoyable.

Here are some resources if you are interested to learn even further:

1) Jasmine Rice Health Benefits, Nutrition Facts, Nutritional Value

2) Vitamin B3 (Niacin)www.umm.eduA Member of the University of Maryland Medical System  |  In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine

3) Take Steps to Reduce Cholesterol

There are different grades of the jasmine rice. A 100% jasmine rice is usually marked Premium, or 100% Super Quality. Otherwise they are very good or good quality with 5%, 15%, or 30% mixed with other white rice. The better grades are more expensive, and they are usually available at Asian grocery stores. Nowadays, big U.S. grocery stores carry Thai jasmine rice but you may pay more for it, and it may not be the highest quality.

The jasmine rice originated in Thailand and it is imported to the U.S. and all over the world from Thailand only.  The export of the rice has become larger and larger since it has become more popular worldwide.

Recently, because of its popularity,  the Thai jasmine rice production has been threatened by U.S. companies who tried to claim monopoly rights to the rice by getting a Patent on Thai jasmine rice.  U.S. and China have been trying to copy the genetics of the rice so they can grow it domestically.   And that is an unfair practice to the poor farmer families in Thailand, who have farmed for centuries and developed the rice to its current best form.  Without the rice they will have nothing!  Here is the full story: GROUPS TAKE LEGAL ACTION TO END US ‘BIOPIRACY’.

How to cook the Thai jasmine rice?

Ratio: 2 cups of uncooked Thai jasmine rice (*100%-New Crop, please see tips below) to 2 cups of water

2 cups of uncooked Thai jasmine rice make about 4 1/2 – 5 cups cooked rice.

  • In an electric rice cooker: If you love eating rice, it is a good investment to buy one.  It makes the cooking process a piece of cake!
  1. Place 2 cups of rice in a pot.
  2. Rinse the rice well a couple times.
  3. Add 2 cups of water, shake the pot a little to level the rice so it gets cooked evenly.
  4. Put the lid on, press the “cook” button and walk away!
  5. The cooking process will take about 20 minutes.  The cook button will turn off automatically.  Some people serve the rice right away.  I prefer my rice a little softer, so I let it sit in a “warm” setting for at least another 5 minutes before serving.
  • If you don’t have a rice cooker, use a non-stick stew pot with lid:
  1. Place 2 cups of rice in the pot.
  2. Rinse the rice well a couple times.
  3. Add 2 cups of water. Shake the pot a little to level the rice so it gets cooked evenly. Put the lid on.
  4. Cook over medium heat and bring to a soft boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, for about 20 minutes.
  6. Check the doneness, it should be cooked through and soft to the bite. Not al dente! (Continue cooking if it’s al dente.) If at this point, the rice is still really wet, uncover the pot so the moisture gets released and the rice does not get mushy!
  7. Remove the pot from the heat, keep the lid on and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. You may gently fluff it up with rice or wooden spoon, then keep it covered. Serve warm.

Tips:

  • Rice can also be cooked without measuring. My secret (after cooking rice for over 30 years) is to place rice in a pot, rinse well a couple times and add water just enough to cover the rice by about 3/4″.  OR, after shaking the pot a little to level the rice top, I lay my clean hand flat on the rice and if the water just covers my hand, it’s perfect!
  • *You will need more water if the rice is not 100% jasmine rice.  The higher percent mixture of the other white rice, the more water you need – up to 2 1/2 cups for 2 cups of rice. It gets a little tricky when packages don’t give you the information. So you need to guess the first time you cook it, then adjust accordingly next time! You may also notice on rice bags being labelled “New Crops”, or “Old Crops” (or the year of harvesting.)  The old-crop jasmine rice will need a little more water than the new-crop!
  • Please do not add any salt, butter, oil, etc. when cooking Thai jasmine rice!
  • It takes some practice before you cook your rice just right. But it is not difficult!